Jan Selbourne
When history whispers,
I pass it on.
When history whispers,
I pass it on.
[#historical #mystery #suspense #TwentiethCentury #kidnapping #stalker #revenge #WW2 #KoreanWar anthology novellas romance]
Two great historical novellas that will keep you guessing.
In Jan Selbourne’s The Next Stop Is Dead, a woman boards a city train one night and finds herself alone in the car with four strangers, all men. When she discovers one of them is dead, she has to find a way to exit the train and get help. Will she escape, or will the next stop be her final one?
In Anne Krist’s Missing, sisters Audra and Daina communicate using “twin language.” But how much difference will that make when Daina disappears? Can Audra find her sister before her abductor ends Daina’s life? Even with the help of an over-protective detective, saving her missing twin might not happen in time.
Another good read by Jan and Anne
I really enjoyed these two novellas. I am a fan of mystery and historic novels, so these two were great to read. Keep up the good work ladies I am waiting for the next books or novellas to be published.
They are great gifts for my sister. Highly recommended.
5 Stars/4 Stars--Daphne
Selbourne gives a look into Australia in the late 50s by creating a connection between two strangers on a train. The mystery and intrigue build steadily until you're on the edge of your seat to see how the characters will get out of their predicament.
Krist takes you to the midwest and every parents nightmare. Two farm girls in the big city testing their boundaries. Again the late 50s so different norms from today. One daughter tests her boundaries and one daughter remains traditionalish. The disappearance of one daughter leads the other to make discoveries about the world she hadn't faced. The intrigue and light romance build at a good pace.
I enjoyed these stories. They fit together despite being half a world apart. There's an innocence to the stories you don't find in the crime drama of today.
4 Stars--Eileen
Alison buttoned her coat against the cold wind blowing along the platform. Melbourne might be dull and staid, but we hosted the 1956 Olympic Games, we are known for our theatres and culture and Flinders Street Station was once the busiest in the world. Something the bragging Sydneysiders hadn’t achieved.
She looked at the ticket in her hand and up at the train timetable. The next train would go express from Richmond to Caulfield then stopping all stations to Dandenong. You can’t sit here all night.
Wheels on the tracks and the train pulled into the platform. Not one of the new blue trains but an old red rattler that should have been pensioned off years ago. Three young, laughing women wearing Footscray Tennis Club jackets got out of the end carriage and hurried down the exit ramp. Feeling miserable, Alison got in hoping she’d be on her own. Empty except for three men sitting together on the last row of seats. She walked to the other end of the carriage and sat down. The whistle blew and the train moved away from the platform and into the tunnel.
The train increased its pace through Jolimont Yard and without meaning to, Alison glanced at the three men at the other end of the carriage. They hadn’t moved, just sitting there reading newspapers without speaking. The man next to the window looked at her, lit a cigarette and after blowing a cloud of smoke into the air lifted his newspaper closer to his face. She turned to the window again as they passed the huge Melbourne Cricket Ground, holy ground for cricket fanatics and home of Australian Rules Football. Watching grass grow was more interesting than watching cricket.
The train was slowing down to stop at Richmond station. The door opened and she looked up as a man with a newspaper tucked under his arm got in. He walked past her and took a seat on the other side of the aisle. The train began to move out of the station.
Four men and one woman and they’d express through the next five stations before stopping at Caulfield. Feeling very uncomfortable she held her overnight bag closer and gazed through the window as the train gathered speed. Except for the clattering train wheels it was quiet, creepy quiet. They’d just passed South Yarra station and the reflection in the grimy window moved. That man was looking at her. Oh hell, he was standing up. Her chest thumped when he crossed the aisle and sat beside her.
A wide smile. “What are you like with crossword puzzles?”
Alison felt the blood drain from her face. Should she get up and go closer to the three men? It struck her then they hadn’t spoken or moved since she got on the train.
He lifted his newspaper. “The crossword is very hard today. Can you help me?”
Her throat went dry. “Pardon?”
“Two heads are better than one,” he said brightly and pointed to the top of the page. For a few seconds her eyes refused to absorb the words in thick capital letters. DO NOT LOOK UP. GET OUT AT THE NEXT STOP. THE MAN IN THE MIDDLE IS DEAD.
Take a chance on an Amazon gift card! After you've read our novellas, read the question below. Then click the appropriate email link (Anne if you live in the U.S. and Jan if you live in Australia) and send us your answer, your name, and email address. Contest begins June 30 and ends July 20. Winners will be selected on July 21.
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Here's your question:
Between the two stories there are three kidnappings. What do they have in common?
A. They all took place in a church
B. They all involved couples
C. None of them were for ransom
D. All of the above
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